Tasmania will be required to trade six of its 11 first-round draft picks among a juicy haul over the club’s first three AFL seasons and have a $5 million sign-on bonus, with the ability so sign one uncontracted player from each club.
The AFL on Wednesday confirmed the AFL Commission had ticked off the Devils’ list concessions, which are subject to review, ahead of their planned entry into the competition in 2028.
That includes the 19th club being given picks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 in the 2027 draft and the first selection of each following round. Picks 5,7, 11 and 13 must be traded but can be rolled forward for the next to drafts.
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In the 2028 and 2029 drafts, Tasmania will have picks 5 and 9 and the first selection of every round, but Pick 5 has to be traded in both years (can be rolled forward in 2028).
The Devils will have a $5 million sign-on bonus outside the salary cap in their first two years to try and lure stars from other clubs, with a maximum spend of $3 million in each season.
They’ll have the ability to sign 18 out-of-contract players around the competition in 2027 and 2028, with a maximum of one player per club.
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Teams that lose players will get a ‘floating’ compensation pick in the year of their choosing.
In other key allowances, Tasmania will have extra list spots including up to 48 players in years two, three and four, before returning to 44 players by year six.
The Devils will have a Tasmanian Academy similar to the Northern Academy model, with the ability to pre-list eligible players for the first four years.
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The club will be able to pre-list Tasmanian pathway players two years out from its 2028 AFL entry year and have access to the father-son rule for players whose fathers were born in Tasmania and played at least 100 AFL games.
They’ll also be able to pre-list 17-year old players spread across two years and have two draft selections in two 17-year old mini drafts, with the requirement for those selections to be traded.
The AFL Commission is also set to confirm changes to the bidding system from the 2026 draft following a review of the 2025 draft.
A cap on the number of picks used to match a bid, the points value required to match a bid (including removal of discounts) and allowable points deficit are among the changes being considered.
Recruiting gurus Todd Patterson and Derek Hine are heading up Tasmania’s list management.
Last month a report from the Tasmanian Planning Commission recommended against a new stadium being built, which is a condition from the AFL to grand the Devils the league’s 19th license.